THEN PETER – FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
Acts 4:1-12
GETTING STARTED:
● The miracle of the lame man’s healing just keeps on giving. We read that
the number of believers is expanding rapidly. 5000 men – not counting
women and children. Sound familiar – the feeding of the 5000.
● Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection of the dead. So they are
offended by the preaching that God raised Jesus from the dead. They
should have been pierced to the heart that they crucified God’s Messiah.
● Peter and John are arrested late in the day and spend the night in jail.
Peter will now deliver a powerful bold declaration of God’s truth for all time
to those who oversaw the illegal trials of Jesus.
- IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT – PETER ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
● They ask in verse 7 – By what power or in whose name, have you done
this?
● Think about this – the one who answers – Peter – is the same person who
could not stand up to a servant girl by a fire at night. Now in the light of
day – before the religious leaders of his day – Peter boldly declares the
powerful truth of Jesus.
● The stone you rejected is the cornerstone – He is the messiah. Just
because he does not fit your concept – does not change this reality. God
will not send another Savior – salvation will only come through the name of
Jesus. AND THAT’S WHOSE NAME AND WHOSE POWER WE
REPRESENT.
THE OBVIOUS LESSON: Let’s stand up for Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit
and tell the world the good news about Jesus. We must not be deceived in these
last days – God has sent His only son – there will not be another Savior.
- DO NOT LET THIS WORLD DEFINE WHO YOU ARE. Acts 4:13-22
● These leaders saw the disciples as ordinary with no special training. But
God saw them as faithful disciples trained for 3 years by Jesus and filled
with the power of the Holy Spirit. THE WORLD HAS NO IDEA WHO YOU
ARE IN JESUS. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE AND LET THEM KNOW.
● Finally – they thought that they could control them with threats and that
they could shut the gospel down. THEY COULD NOT. NO ONE HAS
EVER SHUT THE GOSPEL DOWN. EVER! One of the great themes of the
book of Acts is – the unhindered gospel. Be unhindered today!